Disclaimer: All Canon Hazbin Hotel characters are owned by Vivziepop!

All non-canon characters belong to me besides Cotton, who belongs to @q.uackerzz on TikTok!

For art on this story, visit my TikTok @_buzzybee_

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The ring of Pride never had a silent moment, not when the streets were bustling with demons and sinners that strived to fulfill themselves with whatever illegal substance they could get they're hands on. The frequent sound of booming music around every street corner, passing lines of sinners waiting to get into a new club around the block, most likely to seek a sort of pleasure awaiting inside.

Although pleasure is what most seeked in hell, everyone knew there was one pleasure that out-rooted the others.

Greed.

Money was truly the root of all evil, indulging sinners to turn against one another just for a change to have a few bills in their pockets.

Everyone knew if you had money, you had status, and with status came power and with power came Overlords.

Overlords had the funds to hire imps to do they're bidding and even those that didn't wish to work with the imp kind could take to sinners' souls. This also requires money to achieve, keeping said souls wasn't cheap, no matter how you might treat them.

There was one overlord in particular that was among one of the most wealthy with his many lines of casinos. Husker was widely known for his prestigious buildings that scattered Pride, lighting up the streets with the biggest lights known in all of hell. They were truly a sight to behold and sinners amongst the ring gave into the temptation, hoping Lady Luck was on they're side.

Though amongst all of Husk's casino's stood Eden. Eden was a beauty, a masterpiece, and Husker's pride and joy. This was also his main casino, as well as his most popular through the rings, everyone had to have at least heard of Eden, even the sinners that couldn't travel beyond they're ring.

Eden's walls were coated with an emerald green with darker patterns faintly lining the wallpaper, gold glistened throughout the door frames and knobs that just made the entire space come together as an enchanting look.

Greek and Renaissance art pieces covered the ceiling, the details shining in the light from the chandeliers that hung not far from the casino floor.

The sounds of sinners laughing and the tumbling of dice against tables could be heard throughout Eden. All hoping they could have a chance at winning big and taking home a pot, very little we're lucky with such a task.

Husker eyed the game floor carefully from his post on one of the many high terraces, his claws carefully clutching a cigar as the other clawed paw was tucked away in his suit pants pocket.

Golden eyes glistened over to one table in particular, a Blackjack table.

One of his many souls dealt out to a single loan shark, though the dealer seemed rather uncomfortable and Husker understood why. The loan shark was slamming his fist repeatedly into the table every time he went over 21, but proceeded on with his money wasting and continued to play his luck.

The player soon must have had enough of his testing with Lady Luck and aggressively grabbed the dealer by their shirt collar, dragging them across the table and sending cards flying. Husker didn't have to hear what the shark was saying, he didn't need to nor did he care to. He knew the customer had played his luck enough and Husk decided it had run out.

With a glance to one of his many security team members off to the side, the shark was being practically dragged from the floor and out the door. The dealer was helped back to their feet and everything returned to the way it was, as if the incident never occurred, just how Husk liked it.

"You gotta stop letting asshats like that in here," a southern accent rang not far from Husk, he didn't have to turn around to know who it was. The tall bunny overlord made her way to Husk's side as he put out his cigar along a tray that an imp hurriedly brought to him.

"Cotton," Husk announced gently, as if the comment hadn't even reached his large cat ears. The overlord beside him had been working with him for years, the woman offered many services for Husk, such as a wide variety of protection for himself and those that come to and from his casinos.

Cotton had her own business to run, offering her assistance to sinners and imps that might need it, of course with pay. Cotton was generous but she didn't take too kindly to her services being abused for free. Though she may have done Husker a few favors throughout his time in hell, he still paid her handsomely, and with a bonus of the best moonshine one could get from earth, which not just anyone could get their hands on.

Husk heard the bunny slightly scoff at his ignorance, he couldn't help but chuckle slightly. He loved pulling on her ears, it was like a little game that two siblings had amongst one another, except it usually ended in one fuming and the other laughing mischievously.

"I would absolutely keep suckers like that out, but I'd very much miss the absolute fool he'd make of himself when he continuously plays my games and empties his pockets," he gave a wave of his hand to the floor below, "he should know better not to test his luck, maybe then he'd have a fighting chance." Husk shrugged as he began to walk along down the corridor that led to a staircase to the main gaming floor.

"You know what I meant, god your such a fucking greedy dirtbag," Cotton called after him as she crossed her arms and walked along behind him, "I could care less about how stupid ya customers are, I meant'ya safety of your souls," she gestured to his workers, and though Husk agreed with her, he always had it under control.

"That's why I have you," he said simply as they arrived at one of the many bars on the gambling floor, and before she had time to argue with him he popped his arm behind the counter and pulled out a particular bottle of coffee flavored moonshine. This caught Cotton's attention as Husk shoved the bottle in her grasp, eyeing her with a cocky smirk.

"Straight from Tennessee," he exclaimed as he watched Cotton shift the bottle in her grasp, the overlord clearly trying not to give into the temptation.

"You're lucky to have me," she snarled but nonetheless tapped her foot on the floor, allowing a dark hole to appear, to which she popped the bottle into, letting it disappear into a dark abyss. Husk let out a bellowed laugh as a few sinners slightly distanced themselves from him, some out of fear while others genuinely didn't like the overlord. Though amongst those that moved away, a smaller fawn wearing elegant clothing made her way towards Husk, clearly needing to tell him something.

"Excuse me, Husker," she called as the overlord stopped his cackling and eyed the sinners who's soul he owned. He gestured to her to continue as he collected a drink from the bar behind him, the bartender must have made it for him expectantly.

"Your game with Valentino will be starting soon sir." The fawn spoke confidently as she clutched her clipboard to her chest. Cotton must have been listening in because she suddenly began to choke back on the one shot of Paloma tequila she happened to have made for her.

"Husk the actual- fuck!?!" She exclaimed as she slammed her glass down on the bar, eyeing the old cat like he was out of his fucking mind, which he was and she was fixing to let him know it.

"Fucking Valentino??? Vee's Valentino??? Of all the god forsaken dumbass Overlords you could have taken on in a game, you picked Barney the Dinosaur Mc'Fuck Face." She exclaimed angrily as the fawn slightly stepped back, slightly fearing for her life. Husk kept his poker face as he swished his drink, listening to Cotton's rant though he didn't necessarily respond, he simply turned his gaze back to the fawn.

"Money Game or Soul Game?" He asked simply. There were many games Husk took to playing, he didn't ever need more money, nor did he need more souls but either way, if it meant he could assert his dominance and power over the enemy player, he'd take to a game any day.

"Soul, sir," the fawn answered after a moment. Husk smirked slightly as he took a sip from his drink, it seems Vox wasn't letting a certain Vee handle any more of the funds. Which was good, considering Valentino had spent the majority of it at Eden and worked himself quite the debt after.

Valentino was known to frequently visit Eden, he'd win some, lose more, and then throw a big tantrum. Though the tantrums were never enough to send the overlord over the edge to the point he had to be escorted out, though everyone knew better than to push him that far. Husk never had much of an issue with him, though he's never played with the man before, he's simply seen him play.

"Your fuckin' out of it," Cotton rubbed her eyes, trying to grasp the situation.

"There's a reason I stopped doing business with the Vee's years ago, no one should enlighten them and give them the time of day, let alone the CHANCE to win anything." Husk turned to her then, giving her a look that read 'shut up for a second.'

"Thank you, Falin, what time?" He directed his attention back to the fawn, which made the younger soul straighten her posture and cover her fear of Cotton real quick.

"Five pm, sir," she announced, earning a nod from the overlord as he waved her off. Husk then turned to Cotton and directed her back to the staircase with his eyes, to which she pursued after him. Cotton knew better than to openly discuss too much in public, especially around Husk.

So once they made it to Husk's office, she blew into him.

"Firstly, I spoke out of turn out there and for that I'm sorry, not my place," she stated as she closed the office doors behind her, "secondly…" she paused to take a breath before speaking again, "…what the actual FUCK are you thinking, like genuinely enlighten me." She exclaimed as Husk sighed and plopped down at his desk, watching his shadow that fell over his paperwork from the light that shone through the windows behind him.

"Valentino has one of the biggest tabs humanly possible with my casino, I know he's never going to pay it so I offered the fucker a game that gives him a chance to pay it back with a soul," he said simply, resting his forehead in the palm of his clawed hand, "which soul? I don't know, nor do I care, whomever it is, I'll make sure they are worth his fucking debt."

Cotton sighed as she sat on one of the many sofas, exhausted with Husk's behavior.

"You're certain you will win?" She gave him a look, it was a stupid question really, and she was aware of that. Husk had his moments of loss but against someone like Valentino, whom had gained so much from playing with nobody's in Eden. She knew Husk would wipe him with his own ego.

Husk glanced up at her and smirked softly, adding a bit of playfulness to the rather serious conversation.

"You'd ever doubt me?" He cackled as Cotton slightly smiled.

No, she wouldn't.

——————

Cotton insisted on joining Husk at the game, despite him explaining it wouldn't be existing. She still wanted to watch Valentino's smug ass smile be wiped from his face as Husk won over one of his many money makers.

Husk was aware of Cotton's history with the Vee's, Valentino in particular. Though he didn't know every detail, he knew his business partnering had gotten the bad end of something with them, but he didn't ever push past that.

As they made they're way down the halls towards one of Husk's many private gaming rooms, Husk could feel Cotton practically fuming beside him. He knew Cotton had a damn good poker face, but when it came to Valentino, something set her off, not that Husk blamed her.

"Breathe, he's just a bug," he waved his hand dismissively at her, urging her to pull it together as they reached the two large doors that enclosed the gaming room.

"I'm aware, and I'll be fine, the guy is just irritating," she rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip as Husk offered his arm to her. It was a great way to make a first impression, because what better way to display power than to have another overlord on your arm?

"Don't worry, this game won't last an hour," he smirked as he ran a hand through his slicked hair, Cotton taking hold of his arm as the doors opened for them, allowing the room to be revealed to them.

Inside was a long table with soft green fabric on top, allowing cards to smoothly glide along the surface. A variety of security stood along the side, offering Husk they're protection, as well as for anyone else in the room.

At the end of the long table awaited Valentino, dressed for impression clearly as he adorned one of his many glamorous coats, diamonds and gems glistening in the light around his neck in an almost captivating way. Husk had to stop himself from laughing at the thought of the moth being attracted to the light from his own jewelry.

Husk felt Cotton tense up at his arm for just a split second before turning back to her bored demeanor, this had Husk following her gaze to the pretty little thing Valentino brought with him. Husk felt himself narrow his eyes, a little displeased with how Valentino chose to dress his souls but nevertheless he couldn't judge what an overlord did to those he owned.

The closer they got to the table, the more familiar the man began to become. He was clearly a spider demon, slightly pinkish and had a great figure, considering how much his revealing outfit threatened to expose to them. Husk began to realize he had seen this demon before, and not just because he realized it was the Angel Dust, but also because this wasn't the first time Valentino had brought the spider to Eden.

Everytime Valentino visited the casino, he always had some sort of trophy on his arm, buttering him up with kisses and dirty remarks in his ear. Of course to Husk's disgust, though he never interrupted them, as long as Valentino kept playing.

Though amongst many of the souls Valentino brought, it was clear Angel Dust was a favorite due to his fame and popularity.

Husk was familiar with the pornstar, he didn't watch anything he made but the giant billboard that shined not far out of Husk's office windows was enough to tell him. The demon seemed like a normal sinner who didn't have his head on straight, possibly an idiot, though charming.

Despite this, Husk noticed how Angel Dust played games, he was pretty good at poker, could definitely learn more but for someone who didn't seem like the gambling type, the kid wasn't half bad.

Valentino decided to stand then as they reached their end of the table, willing to greet the two overlords.

"Ah Husker, mi querido~" Valentino sang sweetly as he offered his hand to the overlord, though he knew better than to do more than that as Husker took his handshake. Valentino set his gaze upon Cotton, a slight sour look crossed his features, clearly the bad blood was still there.

"And Cotton, amorcito~" He chimed, giving it his best as he gracefully took Cotton's hand and planted a kiss. Cotton's nose twitched but she kept her composure, she knew better than to act out, so she kept her face completely neutral. Being respectful, all the while letting Valentino know that she did not give two fucks.

Valentino let her go and took a step back, positioning Angel Dust at his side. If it hadn't been for Valentino's roughness with the demon, Husk would have forgotten he was there, which isn't surprising, most of Valentino's souls were forgettable.

They all took they're places at opposite sides of the table, Cotton remained standing next to Husk, though Angel had wiggled his way onto the lap of Valentino. Whether it was by choice? It was hard to tell due to the spider tracing his slim fingers along Valentino's cheekbone and down his chest. Husk didn't care for the show but he did want a fair game, god forbid Valentino get distracted.

"Shall we go over the stakes?" Husk announced as Valentino chuckled, clearly not expecting Husk to jump right into the game.

"Eager to win one of my souls, Husker?" He chuckled, though he didn't earn much from Husk in return besides a small laugh.

"I simply want you to pay your dues, we will not be having another incident like this, are we clear?" He asked as Valentino narrowed his eyes, though he was still smiling. Angel Dust seemed to shrink slightly, as if doing something might agitate Valentino more.

"But of course!" Valentino exclaimed, slamming Angel Dust back into his previous position, but didn't hide his roughness.

"Wonderful, now, the stakes." Husk began as he accepted a drink from one of the bartenders, swishing it gently in his hand, "if you win, you simply get off of your debt, skip free." He spoke with authority then as he took a swish of his whiskey. He then placed his drink down and clicked his tongue, "and if I win, I'll simply choose one of your souls of my liking that fit the length of your debt, and their soul will become mine, along with their contract." He looked at Valentino then, watching as the moth shifted to look more at peace. Almost like he had nothing to lose.

"Sounds perfect to me, amore, though I'm more so looking forward to this absolutely wonderful game, what an honor it is to be playing with you," he smirked, licking his tongue over the font of his teeth as he gripped a glass of alcohol with one hand and the other possessively dug into Angel Dust's back. For a moment Husk saw the demon wince but quickly covered up the pain with a seductive smile whenever he noticed Husk was watching.

Husk eyed Angel for a moment longer, something about him sparked a curiosity inside of the overlord, and not just because of his cat instincts.

"Well, with that being said then," he smiled then, that wonderful poker face stoned smile that he famously wore often. He then snapped his fingers and a set of beautifully decorated cards appeared, all adorned with Husk's figure and crests. An imp then came to Husk's side with a briefcase full of chips, which Husk had another imp take care of. The last thing he needed was Valentino assuming he had rigged the game.

Husk began to open his mouth when he felt Cotton grip the back of his shoulder, he glanced at Valentino first, noticing how his attention was solely on Angel. Most likely whispering something harsh to keep the spider in line. He then shifted to Cotton who's usual stone-cold face had a hint of worry, which was surprising to Husk, since Cotton was always able to hold her poker face.

"What?" He asked as he watched her eyes narrow, she never took her eyes off of Angel.

"Choose him," she said quietly as Husk raised an eyebrow at her, he began to scoff to interrupt her, he didn't need someone telling him which soul to pick from but Cotton tightened her grip and looked down at him.

"Choose him, if you win," she spoke again, more stern, and Husk didn't know what it was but he felt Cotton convince him.

"And you better win."